Feeding mat

ABSTRACT

An infant&#39;&#39;s feeding mat is provided with a substantially flat bottom and an upstanding ridge lying within a marginal zone adjacent the peripheral edges. The mat is formed of a base ply of foamed resilient flexible plastic and a top ply of nonfoamed flexible plastic. A thick border strip of foamed flexible resilient plastic is interposed between the plies and within the marginal zone, and the two plies are subsequently heat sealed to one another along their peripheries. An additional heat sealed seam between the plies surrounds the inner border of the strip and encloses the strip. The strip is held under compression between the plies and imparts the ridge to the mat.

I United States Patent [151 3,637,454 Pavernick 1 Jan. 25, 1972 54]FEEDING MAT 2,777,626 l/1957 French ..229/2.5 2,893,163 7/1959 Hazel...248/3461 1 Inventor: Stanford Pave-mick, d Alien Manufac- 5 3,195,8477/1965 Squires ..248/346.1

turing Co., 115 Grand St., New York, N.Y. 10013 Primary Examiner-HaroldAnsher Assistant Examiner-Jose h C. Gil [22] Ffled' 2Attorney-Kirschflein, KiEschstein, Ottinger & Frank [21] Appl. No.:857,522 1' g ,5 [57] 1 ABSTRACT [52] U.S.Cl ..161/44, 156/309, 161/118,An infants feeding mat is provided with a substantially flat 161/149,161/160, 161/161, 206/72, 248/346 bottom and an upstanding ridge lyingwithin a marginal zone [51] Int. Cl. ..B32b l/04, 865d 1/34 adjacent theperipheral edges. The mat is formed of a base ply [58] Field of Search161/44, 149, 160, 161, 1 18; of foamed resilient flexible plastic and atop ply of nonfoamed 248/346,]; 206/72; 156/309; D44/l3.l, l4 flexibleplastic. A thick border strip of foamed flexible resilient plastic isinterposed between the plies and within the [56] References Citedmarginal zone, and the two plies are subsequently heat sealed to oneanother along their peripheries. An additional heat UNITED STATESPATENTS sealed seam between the plies surrounds the inner border of2,757,478 8/1956 Borland 2206 72 Strip and encbses StriP- The strip isheld under 3,122,265 2/1964 [unis I h pression between the plies andimparts the ridge to the mat. 2,004,166 6/1935 Low ..248/346.1 2,597,4605/1952 Eberhardt ..206/72 4 D'awmg F'gures PATENTEU M825 I972 I IIINVENTOR SANDFORD PAVERNICK BY WW, am gg ATTORNEY FEEDING MAT 1. Fieldof the Invention A feeding mat having upstanding peripheral edges forpreventing overflow of liquids that are. spilled during feeding.

2. Description of the Prior Art Articles have been heretofore used toprovide protection for a dining table top when. a young child is eating.These usually were in the form of a place mat or sheet althoughoftentimes rigid metal or plastic trays with flat bottomsand upstandingflanges were used. Additionally used heretofore were high chairs havinga small feeding top and flanges at the edges thereof.

These prior devices were deficient in various aspects. For example,there has been a long felt need for an infants feeding tray which wassimpler and more attractive than the prior devices. Furthermore, some ofthe prior devices were difficult to clean and this has always been aproblem because young children seldom eat without spilling liquids ordropping food.

A further disadvantage of these prior devices was that because childrenwere prone to bang their head or some other part of their body upon thetable, some of the previous feeding trays were liable to harm the childwith their hard surfaces and upstanding flanges.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention toprovide a feeding mat which is so constructed that it is not subject toany of the foregoing disadvantages.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a feedingmat of the character described which is simple and rugged inconstruction, yet can be fabricated by mass production methods at anappreciably lower cost than prior devices designed to serve the samegeneral function.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a feedingmat of the character described which is soft :and flexible, providingmaximum safety to a young child, while remaining resilient and durable.

Yet another object of the present invention is to'providea feeding matof the character described which is not only easy to wash but alsofacilitates wiping and removal of spilled or dropped foods.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a feedingmat of the character described wherein the uppersurface of the mat isliquid impermeable with the portions adjacent the peripheral edges ofsaid upper surface resiliently projecting upwardly to provide a ridgeforpreventing the out flow of spilled foods.

Other objects of the invention in partwill be obvious and in part willbe pointed out herein after.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which willhew-exemplified in the feeding 'mat ahereinafter described and of whichthe scope of applicationvwill be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in whichis shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a top view of a feeding mat constructed in accordance with andembodying'the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the feedingmat, the same being taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1and showing the' top and bottom plies of thermoplastic sheet material ofwhich the mat is constructed, as well as the upstanding peripheral ridgeformed by a thick border strip of foamed material and sandwiched betweenthe plies;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a corner of the bottomof the feedingmat;

FIG. 4 is an isometric fragmentary exploded view of the components ofthe feeding mat during the assembly; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating a stepduring the construction of the feeding mat and specifically showing aheat-sealing steel rule die and platen prior to engagement with thefeeding mat components.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT further heat-sealed seam betweenthe base and top plies extends substantially parallel to peripheries ofthe two plies and is spaced inwardly of the first seam. Thus, the borderstrip is sandwiched between the two plies. The border strip is tightly.compressed between the two plies so that the ensuing peripheral ridgehas a rounded upper surface. Because of the use of the materials justmentioned, the entire mat is soft and flexible, yet resilient anddurable. The mat seams are fonned by a heat-sealing process whichincludes the use of a steel rule die activated by ahigh-frequency'electric welding apparatus.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference number 10 denotesa feeding mat constructed in accordance withand embodying the presentinvention. The mat is form ed of a laminated structure including a baseply 12 of a soft resilient flexible synthetic thermoplastic, e.g., offoamed polyvinyl chloride. The base ply sheet material preferably has anunstressed thickness in the order of inch to provide the desiredresiliency and soft texture for the mat. The undersurface of thebaseplyincludes a liquid impermeable layer or skin 14. This skin serves toprevent any of the spilled liquids which are on the table top adjacentor beneath the mat from entering into and being absorbed by the baseply. Washing and cleaning of the entire. feeding mat is also facilitatedbecause the skin 14 prevents absorption of the washing liquids by thefoamed base ply. The use of a foamed material for this ply makes theundersurface rough so that it has an antiskid characteristic and thustends to remain where positioned, resisting lateral displacement forcesapplied by an infant making brushing movements as infants are prone todo.

In addition, the foamed material of the base ply is the majorcontributing factor to the softness and resiliency of the mat whichminimizes the possibility of self-inflicted damage by an infant whobangs a hand, limb or head on the table top in a tantrum or effort togain attention.

A top ply 16 is also provided, said top ply being of the same length andwidth as the base ply so that the common edges of both plies may belocated in registry to form a composite mat in accordance with theinvention. The top ply is a soft flexible synthetic. thermoplasticcompatible with the material of the base ply, e.g., polyvinyl chloride.It is not foamed and has a smooth, e.g., polished, top surface so thatit is easy to wipe off and is visually attractive. The base and topplies are heat sealed to one another along their common peripheral edgesby a peripheral seam 18.

The feeding mat 10 includes a ridge 22 in a marginal zone adjacent theinner side of the seam 18. The ridge 22 serves to prevent the flow ofspilled liquids from the feeding mat onto the table by maintaining suchliquidsin the area surrounded by the marginal zone. For this purpose,there is provided a thick narrow strip 20 of foamed soft flexibleresilient material, e.g., foamed polyurethane, foam rubber or foamedpolyvinyl chloride. This need not be compatible with the material of thebase and top plies. The strip 20 is interposed between the top andbottom plies and within the marginal zone. Inasmuch as the strip isfoamed, soft and resilient, the ensuring ridge22 is incapable 'ofharming an infant willfully striking himself against the mat, as wouldthe hard unyielding peripheral flanges of a metal or hard plasticfeeding tray.

The thick strip is in a shape which conforms with the mat shape, e.g.,rectangular to conform with a rectangular mat. It should be mentionedthat the plan shape of the mat is not a feature of the invention.

To define the inner side of the ridge 22 and hold the strip 20 undercompression between the top 16 and base 12 plies, there is a seam 24joining the top and base plies at the inner side of the marginal zonewhich is also heat sealed.

An area 25 of the mat surrounded by the ridge 22 is generally fiat andupon this area the infant's feeding bowl is placed. It is because foodswill be splattered about and spilled on the top ply 16 that it is formedof a liquid impervious nonfoamed plastic sheet. If it is desired to havethis interior smooth, the top and bottom plies are only joined by theheat welds at the seams 18 and 24.

Optionally, the area 25 of the feeding mat may be decorated with the useof a heat-welding die which will provide decorative seams 26 in adesired pattern. The seams 26 are surfaces wherein there is aheat-sealed welded seam between the two plies 14, 16 resulting in weldeddepressions on both plies.

The manner in which the feeding mat is assembled and constructed is anadditional feature of the invention. In accordance with this feature,the feeding 'nat components, i.e., the top ply 16, the thick borderstrip 20 and the base ply 14, are assembled and aligned for heat weldingin an assembly frame 30. The sheets forming the top and base plies arecut to dimensions larger than the finished mat so that a border extendsbeyond the area which ultimately will be enclosed by the peripheral seam18. Within this border area there is provided a plurality of locatingholes 32 and 33 in the top 16 and base 14 plies, respectively. The holes32, 33 in both plies are in registry when the plies themselves are inalignment. The frame includes a plurality of projecting placement pins34. Each of the pins 34 are spaced and positioned to be registered withthe holes 32, 33 when the aligned plies 14, 16 are placed over theframe. With the pins projecting through the holes, the plies of the matare maintained in alignment during the heat-sealing process.

The thick strip 20 is placed between the plies 14, 16 of the compositemat prior to the placing of the top ply 16 over the base ply 12 on theframe. The strip 20 includes a similar border zone within which there isprovided a plurality of locating holes 36. The border zones of the stripextend beyond the seam 18 of the mat. The holes 36 are spaced to bealigned with the holes 32, 33.

To assemble the mat, first the base ply 14 is placed on the frame 30which is rectangular, to conform with a rectangular mat. Of course, theframe may be of any other appropriate shape, e.g., oval or circular ifthe mat is so shaped. After the base ply is positioned and the pins aredisposed in their locating holes 33 the thick strip 20 is emplaced withthe pins 34 projecting through locating holes 36 of the strip 20.Subsequently, the top ply is placed over the base ply and strip withpins 34 extending through the locating holes 33. It should be noted thatthe plies and the thick strip 20 are maintained in their respectivealigned positions on the frame by the placement pins 34 which extendthrough the locating holes 32, 33 and additionally through the locatingholes 36 of the thick narrow border strip 20.

After the plies and the strip 20 have been assembled on the frame 30,the frame is positioned on a platen 38 of a highfrequency dielectricheat-welding machine. The frame 30 is of a larger dimension than theplaten 38 so that when the frame is inserted over the platen, the framewill peripherally surround the platen. With the frame in this position(see FIG. 5) the plies l2 and 16, and the foam strip 20 will have theirborder zones extending beyond the platen 38.

The platen 38 of the dielectric heat-sealing machine is electricallyconductive to act as a platen electrode for a highfrequency dielectricwelding machine that is energized by a high-frequency oscillator 40. Oneterminal of the oscillator is connected to said platen electrode 38 asschematically illustrated in FIG. 5.

The peripheral seam 18 and the parallel inwardly disposed seam 24 areformed by the dielectric welding machine through the cooperation betweenthe platen 38 and a rule die 42 movable toward and away from the platen.The rule die 42 includes a block of electrically nonconductive material,e.g., plywood. Steel rule die strips 44 and 46 extend through kerfs inthe plywood block of the movable die and a metal chase 45 peripherallycompresses the block to bind the blocks and die strips together. Thelower edges of the strips 44, 46 project beneath the block and defineclosed shapes that appropriately extend against the plies forming themat when the movable die 40 is lowered to press the plies against theplaten 38. These strips form the seams 18, 24. The upper edges of thesteel strips 44 and 46 are electrically interconnected as by anelectrically conductive electrode film or layer 48 which extends overthe upper surface of the movable die 42. The other terminal of theoscillator is connected to this layer. It should be noted that the steelstrip 44 forms the peripheral seam 18 and includes a sharp dependingknife edge 50 which serves to cut the peripheral edges of the plies l6and 12 as well as the thick strip 20 at the border zone. The excessmaterial which has been cut by the edge 50 is the border zone andincludes the openings 32, 33 and 36. The strip 46 forms the inner seam24.

In operation, the frame 30 with the mat plies and thick strip mountedthereon is inserted over the platen 38, the movable die 42 is thenlowered over the platen and pressed against the plies of the mat. Thisaction compresses the strip 20. Thereupon the high-frequency oscillatoris energized. The highfrequency oscillations between the steel stripsand the platen electrode base 38 results in a dielectric heating whichautogenously fuses the plies together around the edges of the strip andcaptures the thick strip 20 between the plies. Subsequently, the movabledie 42 is raised and the frame removed from the platen. Thereupon, theborder zones are stripped from the peripheral seam 18, It should benoted that because the strip 20 was compressed between the movable die42 and the platen during welding, the strip will be under residualcompression after the movable die has been raised. The strip urges thetop ply 16 upward, forming the ridge 22. Because the plies are joined bythe seams 18, 24 along the side edges of the ridge 22, the peripheralridge is rounded.

Thus it will be seen that there is provided an infant's mat and methodfor making the same which achieves the various objects of the inventionand which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the present invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiment and method aboveset forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described orshown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the present invention, there is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. A feeding mat comprising: a soft base ply of resilient flexiblefoamed synthetic thermoplastic sheet material the undersurface of whichhas a liquid impervious skin and a rough antiskid surface, a coextensivetop ply of a liquid impervious sheet of flexible synthetic unfoamedthermoplastic material, said plies having their common peripheral edgesin registry, a marginal zone of said plies lying alongside the commonperipheral edges, an elongate strip of foamed soft resilient flexiblematerial, said strip being interposed between said plies and within saidmarginal zone, a first seam joining said plies along their commonperipheral edges, a second seam joining the said plies, said second seambeing spaced inwardly from the first seam, said marginal zone beinginterposed between said seams, said second seam peripherally enclosingan area of said top ply, the portion of said top ply within said arealying substantially within a plane, the portion of said top ply withinsaid marginal zone being elevated from the plane of said area, thefoamed base ply serving to resiliently support the top ply to prevent achild from injuring himself, the elongate strip serving to raise theportion of the top ply within the marginal zone, the portion of the topply within said marginal zone preventing the outflow of spilled foodsfrom the area of the top ply over the peripheral edges of the mat.

2. A mat as set forth in claim 1, wherein the strip is com- 3. A mat asset forth in claim 1, wherein a design is formed on the area of the topply, said design including heat welded depressed portions between thetop ply and the base ply.

4. A mat as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plies are mupressed by thetwo plies to round the elevated portion of the 5 many hem'sealed at thefirst and second seams" top ply.

2. A mat as set forth in claim 1, wherein the strip is compressed by thetwo plies to round the elevated portion of the top ply.
 3. A mat as setforth in claim 1, wherein a design is formed on the area of the top ply,said design including heat welded depressed portions between the top plyand the base ply.
 4. A mat as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pliesare mutually heat-sealed at the first and second seams.